Is it worth it?

Megansmum

HI All,

Well done Nuala on the weeding and not freaking! It still amazes me how many years i wasted by feeding my fears abd avoiding situations with insects. Other than the MASSIVE spiders and ant in the house :mad: I am really over my phobias now! My DD2 is even getting garden toys now as mummy will sit out there with her! Poor DD1 when she was young never got to play out!!

Veggies rescued quite well after the holiday mishap The cucs are doing well - i only lost 2 plants after the greenhouse fell over, and the remaining ones have cucs growing nicely. The toms have come back and are just starting to flower! Strawberrys and potatoes are thriving. The radishes were the only total loss - although i have still left half a dozen just to see out of curiosity if they grow anything!! The leaves are still going, but i doubt there is anything underneath!!

Stuff at the allotment doing really well for being so neglected! More potatoes there, later ones i earth up whenever we go. The sweetcorn are my crowning glory, 11 plants all thriving. Blueberry bushes got fruit growing, and my onions and brussels are coming on a treat. I just wish i had more TIME to spend on it all.

Potted some carrot seeds a few weeks back in a big 50 litre plastic tub and they're growing leaves nicely now..... and that's about it.....it's just a waiting game now!! The birds got our first red strawberry, then we netted them and dd2 has had the next two red ones!!

How is everyone else doing with their growing??

Beccatje

Megansmum: I really do applaud you!. Well done!!
Just caught onto this part of the forum and so just now read this thread. You've come such a long way! Brilliant!

I'm a happy and excited camper when it comes to growing stuff. I'm mostly growing stuff in pots, and a little bit out into the soil of my front garden. Am planning on expanding next year with raised beds. But first I need to see how this years crop survives my friendly neighbourhood hungries...
I Had a lovely huge raspberry bush out in the front, and never got to eat ONE ripe raspberry!... I thought it was the birds until I spotted a few neighbourhood women standing by my bush chatting away happily while enjoying my berries....
:mad:

So now I've erected a fence (not high, that's not allowed council wise) with a gate, removed the tempting raspberry and I'm trying again to grow stuff in the front. I really don't have much space in the back as I have a husky dog who sleeps there and will dig up anything with a vengeance! lol!
I do have a small greenhouse though and its home to tomatoes, peppers, chilli, and as of today, a Kiwi!! whoooo!!!

out in front I've got: Beets, sweetcorn, carrots, mange tout, andive and lettuce. And a bramble and a blueberrie bush but they are still little.

Oh and ofcourse our HUGE grape vine at the back. That's been there for over ten years now and yields more grapes that the whole neighbourhood can handle. I'm going to try selling them this year.

rhiwfield

Another 6lb of jam made today from goosegogs, so thats 11lb from 1 very old bush. Still one bush to pick and then its the blackcurrants and jostaberries

Still waiting for male flowers on courgettes, just our luck that the female flowers couldn't wait!

mrbadexample

rhiwfield wrote: »

Another 6lb of jam made today from goosegogs, so thats 11lb from 1 very old bush.

Please may I have some of your jam because the bleedin' sawfly have decimated both my young gooseberry bushes? :mad: I despair of actually getting a crop.

To the OP...I think it's great how far you've come in such a short space of time. So the answer to your question is "yes", it is worth it!

I've got tomatoes, chillis and venus fly-traps in the greenhouse. Outside I have runner beans (struggling), beetroot (just planted, and probably drownded what with all the rain), competition swede (also drownded, but as long as I get one for Christmas then that's ok) and some radishes I've just planted this evening.

I do plan on doing more (probably next year!), but I need to dig up more lawn first. I'm not looking forward to that due to the amount of masonry someone decided would be a good base for turf (think whole paving slabs, and lumps of brickwork bigger than your head). :rolleyes:

Megansmum

Becca - thank you for the kind comments! Your story about the rasberrys made me laugh! I didn't know you could even grow kiwis in this country! I may have to try that one next year!! Fab to hear about the grapes too - another dream of mine for next year i think!

I love hearing about how other people are doing - it motivates me to carry on and try new things, and i also get a real feel of community and spirit on here, with support that is often lacking if you aren't surrounded by like minded people at home!!:)

Rhew - i have NEVER heard of goosegogs or jostaberries so you have intrigued me!! I will be googleing them both very shortly! Lol.

Mr bad - my lawn is the same, full of bricks and glass and rubble :mad: Thank you for the kind words. I have also come to the conclusion that yes it is worth it !! When i first started i was consumed with a fear of failure, but already i realise that yes, not everything will work, but no, it doesn't mean i'm rubbish and should give up!! I LOVE growing my own !!:D

ixwood

I agree, well done MM. The transformation has been amazing. You should be proud of yourself!

There was another phobiaish thread on here recently and the difference in attitude between theirs and yours was very noticeable. Apparently you can't do anything about phobias. They're incurable and that's just the way it is!

ixwood

I think Kiwis are borderline here (unless under glass). They need a warm sheltered spot and if I remember right, male and female plants.

Lotus-eater

There are self fertile kiwis. Jenny is partially self fertile and I have the arguta, which is a small fruited version, again partially self fertile. Mine is in the first year and has a few flowers on it, so fingers and toes crossed.
They are a bit vulnerable to late frosts apparently, but mine has flowered way later than the apples and pears/plums, so I'm not sure about that.

Beccatje

Megansmum wrote: »

Becca - thank you for the kind comments! Your story about the rasberrys made me laugh! I didn't know you could even grow kiwis in this country! I may have to try that one next year!! Fab to hear about the grapes too - another dream of mine for next year i think!

!!:D

I have a self fertilizing Kiwi plant, and will keep it in the greenhouse. It won't work otherwise unless you have really sunny spot that catches no wind.
AND I"m in in the Netherlands by the way. But the climate is not much different than the UK.

Lotus-eater

Beccatje wrote: »

AND I"m in in the Netherlands by the way. But the climate is not much different than the UK.

Apart from the excess of wind

Plenty of blow as well